Health Info

High Blood Cholesterol - Cooking Healthy Meals

Now that we're in the kitchen, we're on the scene where American meals are planned and made. Here, the fat content of many meals can be cut or multiplied.

"Ahem, didn't your doctor say to cut down on fat?"

"Yes, I know, but 'no fat, no flavor.’"

The truth is, you can get flavor without fat. You just have to use different techniques and seasonings.

"Have you thought about using different herbs and spices to get flavor?"

"Well, no. Can you do that?"

"Sure!"

For instance, season your chicken with lemon, some garlic, a dash of pepper, and a little salt or salt substitute, or whatever spices you like. Then, instead of frying it, broil it, and before eating it, remove the skin.

For those fat-saturated hush puppies, why not substitute some fresh corn on the cob with a little liquid margarine? Vegetables taste great if they're steamed, and seasoned with herbs.

"What do you think?"

"Looks good. Smells good. But the proof is in the tasting. Say, this tastes good."

And guess what? If you prepare your foods in low-fat ways, you can eat even more food, but still get a lot less fat. Let's take a look at what you were going to eat.

That meal contains about 740 calories, 34 grams of fat, and nine grams of saturated fat. With the other meal, you still eat 740 calories, but it only has eighteen grams of fat, and three grams of saturated fat. As you can see, a few changes can mean big fat savings.

Cooking food low in fat and cholesterol can be as fun and easy as you make it; here are some more tips:

Try steaming foods. Broiling meats is a good no-fat cooking method.

Other methods include microwaving and baking.

Trim excess fat from meat before cooking.

For seasoning, use fat substitutes. Try a butter-flavored powder or liquid instead of the real thing. Tastes great on noodles or baked potatoes.

Or try some salsa to liven things up.

Also, use light mayonnaise on your sandwiches, and trim the fat from your salads by using low-fat or no-fat salad dressings.

When you do use fats, use them sparingly. Here are a few ideas:

Add just a little oil when stir-frying.

Rather than pouring dressing over your salad, dip your fork in the dressing, and then into the salad.

Add just a touch of mayonnaise to your sandwich.

In your recipes, replace each egg yolk with two whites, or use a commercial egg substitute.

Remember, there are many low-fat cookbooks and cooking classes now available, so take advantage of them.

Now, let's look at some practical examples of how to make low-fat eating a part of your life.

For breakfast, skip the sausage, cheese and egg biscuit. Instead, have pancakes with syrup or fruit, and low-fat milk and juice. Or, lose the bacon and eggs and biscuit, and choose a bowl of cereal with non-fat milk, a banana and a bagel with fat-free cream cheese.

At lunch, instead of a big cheeseburger and fries, substitute a grilled chicken breast sandwich with lettuce and tomato, a side salad with low-fat dressing, and some fresh fruit.

At dinner, instead of half a pepperoni pizza, have two slices of vegetable pizza, and a bowl of minestrone soup.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.